Remscheid
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Template:Infobox Town DE Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area. Population: 117,717 (2003).
Remscheid is twinned with Quimper in France, Wansbeck in England, Prešov in Slovakia, and Pirna in Saxony.
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History
Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but it was a tiny village until the 19th century. Early spellings for the city included remissgeid (1217), Rymscheyd (1351), Reymscheyd (1487) und Rembscheid (1639). The economic growth of the entire Rhine-Ruhr region led to an increase of the population of Remscheid. Mechanical engineering and toolmaking were the main industrial branches of the town.
On July 31, 1943, during the second World War, Remscheid was almost completely destroyed during an air raid. This allowed for modern reconstruction of the city.
Today, Remscheid is comprised of four boroughs, Alt-Remscheid, Remscheid-Süd, Lennep, and Lüttringhausen.
Architecture
- The Müngstener Brücke is a railroad bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbour town of Solingen. It is 107 m above the ground, hence the highest railroad bridge of Germany. It was constructed in 1897 and originally named the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke after Wilhelm I (whose 100th birthday would have been in 1897).
- The Eschbachtalsperre, the first dam built in Germany for drinking water supply is located here. It was built in 1891.
Notable Citizens of Remscheid
- Wilhelm Röntgen, the discoverer of the x-rays, was born 1845 in Lennep, which is today a borough of Remscheid. There is a museum in Remscheid (Deutsches Röntgen-Museum) commemorating Röntgen's life and discoveries.
- Teo Otto, a stage designer, was born in Remscheid in 1904.
- Peter Brötzmann, a free jazz saxophonist, was born in Remscheid in 1941.
- Wolfgang Tillmans, a photographer, was born in Remscheid in 1968.
External links
Template:Germany districts north rhine-westphalia
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